Weight is a major risk factor for osteoporosis. Too little or too much weight increases your risk of breaking a bone. Maintaining a healthy weight promotes bone health.
Underweight
Individuals who weight less than 120 pounds are at higher risk for fractures. Smaller, petite individuals usually have smaller bone size. Force of impact from a fall may exceed the strength of a smaller bone more easily than a larger bone. In addition, smaller individuals are less likely to have extra natural padding over areas like the hip.
Overweight – Obesity
Traditionally, obesity was considered beneficial for bone health because of the mechanical loading on bone by body weight. Recent research findings show the exact opposite – a negative connection of bone and fat that is complex. Fat that was once viewed as inert is actually metabolically active. One way bone is affected by fat is the production of inflammatory factors that promote a higher rate of bone breakdown.
Body Mass Index – BMI
Also a measure of your body size, called body mass index or BMI, is a calculated from your weight and height in metric units. To calculate yours use the link below.
Obesity is defined as a body mass index 30 kg/m2 and greater. The calculated index may overestimate BMI in some athletic individuals with a muscular build.
Weight Loss
Weight loss, whether intentional or unintentional, is associated with loss of bone.
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